Museum exhibit reveals the intricate workings of a knackered Dell

Today's entry in the catalog of bork comes from Coventry's Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, where an information terminal is showing more about the hardware behind the scenes than the objects on display. Register reader Jeffrey Borinsky spotted the panel, which should have demonstrated a Jacquard loom in action but was instead displaying a warning about its host PC's failing battery. The Jacquard loom was a clever device dating back to the dawn of the 19th century. It used punched cards to control a loom's weaving patterns. The result was complicated and repeatable textile designs that reduced the need for skilled humans. Register readers of a certain age are doubtless nodding sagely at the mention of punched cards, which would go on to become foundational in the world of computing. Borinsky reported that several screens at the museum were in distress. …